PURPOSE:
Robeson Community College recognizes the diverse needs of its student population. Many of our students are part-time because they must work to support themselves and their families. Many students are retraining or desire to upgrade their skills. Still others are in high school and are preparing to enter college. Many of these students desire to participate in non-traditional forms of course delivery, and Robeson Community College wishes to meet their needs.
GOALS:
- Provide Internet delivered courses to meet student demand.
- Provide North Carolina Community College System approved telecourses where possible to meet student demands.
- Provide North Carolina Information Highway delivered courses to meet student demand and/or College need.
- Provide other distance education as the demand requires.
- Provide the same quality educational courses as those provided on campus.
- Hold the distance education courses and students to the same standards as those provided on campus.
- Ensure that the same levels of student support services are available to distance education students.
Ensure the same educational support services are made available to distance education students.
Compensation for Online Instruction
All faculty teaching online courses will be compensated based on the contact hours for the course listed in the Combined Course Library (applies to part-time and full-time faculty teaching an overload). Full-time faculty will be compensated for three hours of overload for teaching online for the first time. The Distance Learning Coordinator will be responsible for making the Assistance Vice President of Instruction for the respective area aware of the compensation for the faculty member.
Reporting Student’s Membership in a Distance Learning Course
- Any student who does not have contact with the instructor by the last day of the Drop/Add period should be withdrawn from the course.
- Any course orientation whether face-to-face or online should occur on or immediately after the first day of classes, if it is to be counted as an entry date for attendance purposes.
- A student’s enrollment in the course prior to the 10% point should be determined by one of the following methods of participation: completion of tests, submission/completion of assignments through the Digital Dropbox or Discussion forums, or communication with the instructor (introductory e-mail).
- To verify each student’s enrollment prior to the 10% point, the instructor should attach a copy of the student’s method of participation to the 10% roster. Example: a copy of Week One’s Discussion Forum noting each student’s introduction or a Statistics Report for the first two weeks of class from the Course Statistics.
Reporting Student Withdrawal from Distance Learning Courses
As the semester progresses, any student who does not meet the attendance policy should be withdrawn from the course. The student should be notified in writing as to the reason for the withdrawal. A copy must be forwarded to the Distance Learning Coordinator and the Network Administrator so that the appropriate records can be kept and the student’s access to the online course can be restricted.
Robeson Community College Expectations of Online/Hybrid Faculty
After reviewing the material, sign and return this form to the distance learning coordinator.
Faculty members who teach an online and/or hybrid course are expected to:
- Successfully complete the required faculty development workshops.
- Read and comply with the college policies outlined within the RCC Student Handbook, RCC Catalog, and DL policies handouts.
- Adhere to departmental policies and expectations.
- Enforce the college’s attendance policy and comply with the outlined procedures for recording and submitting grades. For example,
- Provide an accurate 10% roster for attendance.
- Maintain an accurate record once a student withdraws or is withdrawn from the course, and
- Provide final grades within the timeframe set by the Registrar.
- Provide a copy of the 10% roster and the first week’s assignment to the distance learning coordinator, as well as a copy of the final exam.
- Ensure that the course syllabus complies with the required checklist.
- Utilize the college’s grading scale to record final grades.
- Utilize the selected textbook and provide supplementary material that will enhance a student’s learning.
- Follow any set departmental policies.
- Post coursework in advance – one to two weeks, not an entire semester.
- Provide feedback for students’ work in a timely manner.
- Encourage student interaction by employing discussion boards, as well as providing feedback on individual assignments.
- Respond to students’ questions within a 24-48 hour period from the time received.
- Maintain a professional relationship with students.
- Maintain a friendly yet disciplined environment.
- Demonstrate one’s in-depth knowledge of the subject to students.
- Organize the course so that it appeals to students’ learning styles.
- Clearly communicate one’s criteria for submitting and evaluating assignments.
- Ensure the comparable difficulty and workload of an online course to its equivalent, a “seated” class.
- Use the assigned Campus Cruiser email address to correspond with students.
- Be aware that material created for the assigned course is created solely for Robeson Community College and is to be utilized only in RCC classes.
- Adhere to the College’s copyright policy.
- Notify the distance learning coordinator of emergency situations that may prevent one from beginning or completing a scheduled course.
Faculty members should be reminded that:
- The Blackboard Learning Platform is to be used for online and hybrid courses.
- Completion of the first week’s assignment (icebreaker, for example) must be used to generate a student’s entrance date “E” on the official roster.
- The course duration should be set so that students do not have access to the class before its official start date.
- Students are required to use their assigned Campus Cruiser email address to correspond with their distance education instructor.
- Each instructor and his/her course will be evaluated by students using the RCC Student Evaluation Form.
- Students will be prompted to complete the Institutional Evaluation of Distance Education courses each semester.
- Online and hybrid courses will be monitored periodically by the Distance Learning Coordinator.
- Check the prerequisites/corequisites.
Students must meet the prerequisite/corequisite for an online/hybrid course. This applies to Special Credit students as well. - Check each student’s cumulative grade point average.
Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or a 2.0 for the previous semester. During pre-registration, students should be advised that if their GPA falls below a 2.0 at the end of the semester, they will be removed from the online course. - Have each student read and sign the Internet/Hybrid Classes Student Enrollment Policy form.
- A student must have access to the Internet off campus and access to software compatible with that used in the course which is to be taken.
- A student must be computer literate in computer and software operations, must know how to send e-mail, must know basic browser operations, and must be proficient at downloading and installing software.
- A student must maintain weekly contact with the course instructor by the fifth day of class or risk being dropped from the course.
- Students must have an active e-mail account when registering for the class.
Contact with students will be primarily in an e-mail form. If a student does not have an active e-mail account, he/she may not receive all of the updates regarding his/her class. Students who register via WebAdvisor should contact the DL Coordinator to complete the appropriate paperwork. - Remind students of basic distance learning policies.
- A student must contact his/her instructor by the fifth day of class or be dropped. The contact must be in writing: completing the first week’s assignment and/or e-mail.
- A new RCC online student must complete the online orientation, available through the college’s website: http://www.robeson.edu or attend the face-to-face orientation session’s that are scheduled.
- As the advisor, sign the enrollment policy form and provide the white copy to the student.
Other copies should be placed forwarded to the distance learning coordinator.
Advising Tips for Faculty
As you advise and register students for an online/hybrid course, please be sure to address each of the following items.
Copies of the enrollment form will be available in the advising center or within your office area.
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